Former Birmingham City, Middlesbrough and Millwall figure retires with 'immediate effect'

Former Birmingham City defender George Friend has retired from professional football with 'immediate effect'.

The 36-year-old had been linked with a role within Bristol Rovers' recruitment team and it was suggested that he would retire at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He has decided to hang up his boots with 12 games remaining in his current club's season however and will now take up a new role with them.

He has been appointed as the new Director of Football at the League One outfit and will begin his new job immediately. Friend had began his footballing career with the Gas when he joined them as a nine-year-old and has immediately landed his first role after bringing to an end a 19-year playing career.

“I’ve learnt something from every single person on my journey," said Friend in a statement posted on the Bristol Rovers official website.

"I want to thank all those who helped me achieve more than I could have ever imagined. Team mates, staff, managers, owners and fans…

“I now remain determined and ambitious to succeed in my role here at Rovers. It is where I started my footballing journey as a youngster, and it feels very apt that it’s where I will finish playing.”

Friend had joined Bristol Rovers after being released by Birmingham City last summer and appeared 12 times for the West Country side this season. In the three years that he spent at St Andrew's having been brought in by former Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka, he made 52 appearances. He was one of six players released last year having been limited to just seven matches in the 2022/23 campaign.

The other clubs that Friend included on his CV are Middlesbrough where he spent the majority of his career. He played 299 times for them and got to play 25 times in the Premier League for the Boro. He made eight appearances for Wolves and also appeared for Doncaster Rovers, Millwall, Southend United and Scunthorpe United.